The Twelve Days of Secret Santa
by NatesMama
Summary: My entry into the 2013 Bones Fan Fiction Secret Santa extravaganza, written as a gift for theoddestcastle.
1. A Partridge In A Pear Tree

_**A/N: Merry Christmas! This is the first chapter of my entry to this year's Bones Fan Fiction Secret Santa, organized by Biba.**_

_**I've written my story for Maryssa, or as you might know her on here, theoddestcastle. (oddestcastle on Twitter) She asked for a whole slew of things, including Christine's first Christmas, some Booth and Brennan smut, and even some Parker. Well, they were all such great requests that I was inspired to write her an entire series of short one shots centered around The Twelve Days of Christmas, both the song and the more traditional meaning. Some are longer than others, some of the references are obvious and some are hidden and might require some research…but hopefully all of them make Maryssa smile.**_

_**As is traditional, the First Day of Christmas is December 25th so we're starting tonight (A little early but I have an 8 year old who will be taking all my attention tomorrow!) and each subsequent chapter will be posted one a day until January 5th, the Twelfth Day.**_

_**So, short story long….Merry Christmas, Maryssa! I hope you enjoy your gift.**_

_**~NatesMama**_

* * *

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Christine Booth threw another handful of twisted wrapping paper into the air with a squeal as her parents looked on, one smiling the other dubious.

"Are you sure she's not going to-" Brennan began just as the eleven month-old shoved a particularly tasty-looking candy cane-adorned ribbon into her little mouth. "Booth! Stop her, she's..."

"I got her, Bones. Relax." Booth slid from the sofa to his knees in front of his enthusiastic daughter and gently pried the bright satin from her tiny hands and lips. "Alright, sweetheart. Give Daddy the bow." An irritated grunt accompanied the action and Christine struggled to grab the offending paper from her father's much-larger hand.

"Da!" She cried, a scowl that reminded him of her mother crossing her features just before she began to bellow indignantly. "No no no no no!" Throwing herself onto the floor, Christine began to kick her legs with gusto, her screams reaching supersonic levels as her shocked parents looked on, immobile.

"Da! Da Da Da Daaaaa!" The baby continued to holler, her yells becoming almost melodic as she turned over and threw her arms into the air in protest. Shaking off his shock, Booth began to grin as the sound of his daughter's cries started to sound eerily familiar to him.

"Daaa, da, da, da, daaaaa….da da da…." Booth began to sing, off-key and enthusiastically.

Brennan glared at her partner, disbelieving that he was actually making fun of their child's distress, when he suddenly added lyrics to his wailing that forced the scowl from her face and had her fighting a smile.

"This morning, I woke up with this feeling  
I didn't know how to deal with  
And so I just decided to myself  
I'd hide it to myself and never talk about it  
And didn't I go and shout it when you walked into the room…"

Brennan stood suddenly and began singing the lyrics along with him.

"I think I love you!  
So what am I so afraid of?  
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of  
A love there is no cure for.

I think I love you.  
Isn't that what life is made of?  
Though it worries me to say  
That I've never felt this way…"

Unbeknownst to her parents, who were crazily dancing around the tree singing at the top of their lungs, Christine had stopped her temper tantrum and sat, contentedly watching them while she munched on her Christmas bow, tears drying on her cheeks and a smile on her sweet face.


	2. Two Turtle Doves

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

"Temperance Brennan, why are you at work today?" Angela stood inside the doorway to her best friend's office, foot tapping in irritation. "It is the day after Christmas. You should be in your beautiful home with your equally beautiful family enjoying the holiday. I'm only here to pick up Michael's favorite binky and then I am gone. What's your excuse?"

Brennan looked up from her computer screen absently, shaking her head at the artist's scowl. "I am only going to be here for an hour, Angela. I needed to follow up on an important email, and my laptop would not link with the Jeffersonian mail account." She turned back to her desk, pulling open a drawer with the intention of finding a 2013 calendar she had stored there, when she stopped and smiled at whatever she had found instead inside the drawer.

Angela noticed the small grin on her friend's face and stepped into the office. "What is it, Bren? Find something good?"

"Chocolate." Brennan shook her head in wonder. "How did he know I would be here today?" She held out her hand, showing Angela the Dove Turtle candy her partner had obviously left for her.

"Where else would you be the day after Christmas?" Angela laughed. "He definitely knows you, sweetie."

Glancing down at the two wrapped candies in her palm, Brennan smiled softly. "He really does."

* * *

_**A/N: It was brought to my attention that a few reviewers didn't recognize the song from Chapter One. Its called 'I Think I Love You' by David Cassidy. He sang it originally on the American television show 'The Partridge Family'. Hope that clears things up. ~NM**_


	3. Three French Hens

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Brennan stabbed another bite of eggplant parmesan on her fork and scowled at the tall table behind where she and Booth were having lunch at Founding Fathers. "I knew we should have gone to the diner." She griped uncharacteristically.

"Bones…" Booth sighed. "We always go to the diner for lunch. And contrary to popular belief, I do eat something besides hamburgers and fries. I wanted fajitas today." He spooned another glob of guacamole onto his peppers and pulled the warm tortilla around the filling tightly. "You love the eggplant here, so what's the problem?"

The loud laughter from behind them caused her to sigh again. "It's those three women sitting at the table there." She indicated over her shoulder with her now-empty fork. "They are incredibly rude and disruptive."

Booth glanced past his partner to the offending table. After listening for a moment, he shook his head. "I can't understand a word they're saying. Is that French?"

"Yes." Brennan's clipped delivery was enough to let Booth know that whatever the women were saying, it wasn't making her happy. "And they are very presumptuous."

Intrigued, Booth propped his elbows on the table and leaned in towards Brennan. "So, what are they saying that has you so wound up? Religion? Politics? Dissections of the transverse plane?"

Snorting a laugh despite herself, Brennan shook her head. "No, they're discussing you."

"Me?" Booth huffed out a self-conscious laugh. "What-um, what are they saying?"

Brennan rolled her eyes. "They're imagining how you would perform sexually."

Booth sputtered, managing to look both proud and offended at the same time. "What? Bones!"

"Its true, Booth. And I find that…" She stopped, obviously irritated by something. "I find that it makes me irrationally angry to listen to those women speculating on how well you are endowed."

Fighting a blush, Booth grinned. Leave it to his normally rational partner to leave the scientist behind when it came to what she considered her territory. He spared the twittering women another glance and then leaned over and kissed his still-scowling girlfriend. "I love you, Bones."

With a nod, Brennan stood and threw her napkin down, and then turned to address the women, all of whom stopped talking and regarded her with dropped jaws.

"Mesdames, si vous avez l'intention de spéculer sur les prouesses sexuelles des hommes étranges, ne vous une faveur et s'assurer que leur autre significatif ne parle pas couramment le français, ou vous pouvez trouver vous-mêmes les victimes de violences inutiles. Bonne Journee." Sparing a glance at a visibly shocked Booth, she turned on her heel and stomped out of the bar.

With a sheepish grin, Booth nodded deferentially at the ladies and after throwing a handful of cash on the table, followed Brennan out the door, muttering to himself.

"That was so damn hot, Bones."

* * *

_**A/N: My French is rudimentary at best but basically, Brennan told the women that if they were going to wonder aloud about a stranger's sexual prowess in public, they should check to make sure his mate doesn't know French, or they are going to get their asses kicked. You just know she would do it, too.**_


	4. Four Calling Birds

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Booth was sure he was going to grow old and die before Hacker decided to wrap up this department meeting. He tapped his pen on the table in boredom, until his boss gave him a look and he stopped abruptly.

Special Agent Matthew Anderson was leading the assembled group through the major points of his latest case when Booth's phone started beeping. Ignoring the glares from the other agents and hoping they had a nice, juicy case what would save him from this unending torture, he tapped the screen to answer his phone. "Booth."

"Hey man, I have a question." Hodgins voice sounded muffled and desperate.

Booth rolled his eyes at the other agents as he stood and pointed to his phone in mock irritation. "Squints." He muttered, pulling open the door and walking out of the conference room.

"What's up, bug man?"

Hodgins voice, whispering, came crackling through what was clearly a bad connection. "Mark, the new intern, just hit on Dr. B."

Laughing, Booth switched his phone to the other ear and peered through the glass door at the still-in-progress meeting where another agent, Luke Turner, was clearly pontificating about his own often-exaggerated and sometimes completely manufactured brilliance. "And? Look, Hodgins, I appreciate the heads up but you and I both know that Bones can handle herself."

"I know that and you know that but apparently this kid doesn't know that." Booth heard shuffling in the background and the rattle of the phone being passed before Hodgins' wife got on the line.

"Booth, she's trying to be nice! What have you done to Brennan?" The artist's frustration was palpable, even through the phone. "Any other time she would have leveled this guy!"

"Ang, you can't have it both ways." Booth sighed, still amused by everyone's reaction. "Either Bones is happy being with me, or I've changed her so much you don't recognize her anymore. Make up your mind already!"

There was a long silence while Booth waited for Angela's response. He looked around and nodded at John from the mail room as he passed with his cart and then stared longingly at another agent's Starbucks cup and dreaded going back into the meeting with its sub-standard FBI standard-issue coffee. Finally, he tired of her waffling and called her name. "You still there, Ang?"

A sigh. "Sometimes I really hate you." Booth chuckled in response. "Fine. I'll let her handle it. Goodbye." The click that followed would have been more effective on an old rotary phone, but Booth got the message all the same. He turned and headed back into the endless meeting, this time with a smile on his face.

* * *

_**A/N: For reference, I chose to use the Orthodox Christian meaning of The 12 Days of Christmas for this chapter, in which the "Four Calling Birds" are assumed to be Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Apostles, **__**proclaiming the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ. There are several schools of thought to the actual meaning of the song, this is just one interpretation.**_


	5. Five Golden Rings

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Booth grinned up from his position between Brennan's legs as she threw her head back and laughed that full-body, husky guffaw that he loved so much.

"Booth…" She gasped for breath as he leaned down and nipped at her smooth thigh. "What are you doing with those…"

"Don't move, Bones. I'm having my breakfast." He explained, sliding back up her body as he reached over next to her on the night stand. "Just…stay right where you are." He plucked a tiny piece of cereal from the bowl and placed it on the hollow above her clavicle. "Suprasternal notch…" she thought to herself.

Booth watched, fascinated, as the Cheerio rose and fell as she swallowed thickly, desire enveloping them both like a heavy, deliciously sensual blanket. His eyes darkened by lust, he grabbed a small handful of the breakfast treat and began placing them down her body.

When he licked the small, ring-shaped treat and placed it carefully atop her rapidly hardening nipple, Brennan sighed contentedly. Before they had begun sleeping together, she had always suspected that Booth was more adventurous in bed than his seemingly prudish sensibilities let on, but even her vast knowledge of kinky sexual practices didn't prepare her for her partner's inventive streak or his ability to make even the mundane incredibly arousing. When he had woken her that morning with a bowl of Cheerios and a smile, she had no idea what he'd had in store for her. Even now, as she watched him place a fourth golden bite in her belly button, she wondered at his plans for her.

"One left…" His husky voice called to her from his position between her thighs. She smiled at his combination of boyish expression and sexy grin, her lids automatically drooping in desire when he set the last Cheerio against the top of her suddenly throbbing clit. His breath ghosted against her sensuously as he slid back up her body. "Don't move a muscle." His head dipped to her neck as he began his assault.

As Booth moved along Brennan's neck and shoulder, each touch of his lips and tongue felt as though he was blazing a scorching trail across her heated skin. His soft mouth slid along her collarbone and moved to her breasts, nipping and sucking at the soft, milky white skin as he used his tongue to pluck each Cheerio off her impossibly tight nipples. Her long, low moan only encouraged him as he sucked softly on her quivering tummy, stopping his descent only to scoop more cereal from where he had placed it in her belly button. Her scent filled his nostrils, making his nips and kisses down her iliac crest more desperate and excited as he reached his final destination.

He stopped, looking up her body entranced as she realized that he had stopped and looked back at him, her lids heavy. Locking eyes with her, his tongue darted out and caught the fifth and final Cheerio, pulling it into his mouth and crunching down with a dark, sexy smirk before he dipped his head and began kissing and licking her soft, wet lips, drawing a long groan from her as he feasted.

Within minutes he had her on the precipice of a heart-stopping orgasm and when she finally tipped over, his name from deep in her chest called out to him as he held her thrashing body down and lapped slowly, letting her come down with soft shudders and sighs.

When she finally stopped quaking, Booth moved back up Brennan's sweat-slicked body, kissing random spots along the way before he settled next to her and watched as she licked her dry lips and turned her head to focus on his self-satisfied expression.

"Well? Feel better, Bones?"

She chuckled lowly and reached out to brush her hand along his jaw affectionately. "Of course, Booth. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

His laughter enveloped her, along with his strong arms as they settled back into the bed to continue their late morning love.

* * *

_**A/N: I can think of worse ways to utilize 'five golden rings'. **_


	6. Six Geese A'Laying

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

"Bones, what do we have?"

Booth held his pen over the note card he was using to document the crime scene they'd been dragged to at 'the butt-crack of dawn', as Hodgins put it, and wrote down everything his partner relayed from her perch in the hay loft above him.

"Female, mid to late 30's. Approximately 156 centimeters, 60 kilograms." Brennan's face appeared over the edge of the loft floor to look down. "She's given birth according to the parturition pits in the pelvic bones."

"Damn. Someone's mother?" Booth nodded his head sadly, noting the information on his card. Shaking it off and focusing back on the case, he addressed the scientist hanging over the edge next to Brennan. "What do you have, Hodgins? Any idea how long she's been up there?"

"Insect activity is sparse, mostly because of the cold, but judging by what I have so far, probably no more than three weeks to a month." Hodgins dropped a small bug into the medical jar he was holding. "Once we get her back to the lab I can tell you more."

Nodding absently, Booth continued to make notations, not noticing the animals slowly beginning to circle his feet.

"Booth?" Brennan's voice permeated his concentration and he looked up absently.

"Yeah, Bones? You need something?" But Brennan's response was lost in the sudden sharp pain that streaked through his body, starting at his calf. "Ow! Dammit, what-" Booth danced backwards instinctively, realizing finally that he was literally surrounded by a half dozen geese, all looking at him like he was invading their turf.

"Booth!" Brennan scrambled to get down the loft's ladder and help her partner, who was beginning to scramble backwards blindly. His hatred of birds was one of his more endearing qualities but at the moment, his panic was anything but charming. As she hit the barn floor, Brennan held out her hands in a calming motion and began to speak slowly and comfortingly.

"Booth. Listen to me. Focus on the sound of my voice." She clutched the edge of the ladder, ignoring the snickering coming from above as she tried to calm her boyfriend. "Geese are particularly attuned to body language and a show of fear may increase the intensity of the attack."

Booth turned wild eyes to Brennan, his mouth gaping. "That's easy for-ow… you to say, Bones! They're not-dammit! biting your ankles! Stop it, you bloodthirsty, evil little bastards!" Despite his pain, he did everything he could to avoid kicking the birds, who continued to peck at him in earnest.

Brennan took a deep breath and bit the inside of her cheek to smother her own laughter. "Maintain eye contact. Geese have excellent vision and interpret loss of eye contact as an act of fear. You have to relax, Booth."

Flicking his eyes quickly towards Brennan and then back at the still-circling fowl, Booth forced himself to breathe deeply and let every muscle in his body ease into a relaxed state. The geese continued to follow the agitated agent, but they quieted noticeably. Booth felt a trickle of sweat slide down his spine and looked to Brennan for what to do next.

"Booth! Keep up the eye contact!" Hodgins called, covering his own eyes as the geese resumed their attack on the other man's feet and legs. "Don't look away, man!"

Brennan assessed the area, noticing a large, gated pen directly behind Booth. Still not moving, she pointed behind him. "Booth, move slowly backwards. If you move in a straight line, you will bump into a gated pen. The gate is to your left approximately one to one and a half feet. You can open the gate, entice the geese inside and close the gate. Once inside, you can jump the fence."

Booth nodded and began to back up slowly. "Alright. Alright. I can do that."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Booth sat in the back of his SUV, dripping wet and swearing like a sailor.

"I'm sorry, Booth!" Brennan apologized again. "I couldn't think of anything else to do! I didn't expect you to fall into the pen and no one could have foreseen you hitting the gate latch on the way down, thereby allowing the geese to follow you into the pen! I had to get them off of you somehow and the hose was…" She gulped as her partner glared at her. "Handy."

At her absolutely miserable face, the ire flowed out of Booth like pulling the drain of a bathtub. He shook his head and reached for her hand. "I know, Bones. I know. And I appreciate you getting those damn birds off me, I do."

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as Booth absently rubbed the back of his head.

"So, Bones…how long do you think it will take for my hair to grow back?"


	7. Seven Swans A'Swimming

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Booth smiled as he sat in the bleachers of the local pool and watched Brennan and Christine go through their Mommy and Me swim class. With her tiny water wings and brightly colored red swimsuit, he decided that no other little girl that ever lived had ever been cuter. And her mother…oh yes. Booth was certainly enjoying Brennan's form in her modest black one-piece, and he especially appreciated the great view of her spectacular cleavage when she would bend to dip Christine into the water.

He was so preoccupied with his family that Booth didn't notice the man sitting next to him waving at another child in the water. When the man addressed him, Booth visibly jumped.

"Which kid is yours?" The man asked, laughing at Booth's surprise.

Booth glanced at the other man, dressed in comfortable jeans and a Christmas sweater, who looked to be about his age. "Oh. Uh…the little blonde girl in the red suit."

The man nodded. "She's adorable. Is that your wife with her?"

Booth started to answer in the negative, and then decided that the explanation wasn't worth the trouble. "Yeah. That's her."

"Beautiful woman. You're a lucky man." He held out his hand. "Dave Swann. Those kids in the blue suits are all mine."

Booth shook Dave's hand as he counted the blue-clad clan in his head. "Seeley Booth. Wow. Six kids. That's amazing."

Dave grinned. "Yeah, well…we have quads and a set of twins. My wife likes to joke that we're the most economical family on the planet. Six kids, two pregnancies."

"That your wife there with the kids?" Booth pointed to the redhead in the blue suit that matched the children.

"Yep. That's my Cathy. She insisted we get the kids swim lessons so that when we go to visit her family they'll be all set."

"Where is your family?" Booth asked.

Dave grinned at his large brood proudly. "Cathy's from Hawaii. She was basically raised in the water."

"Nice. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii. Maybe our next vacation."

"You should definitely go. Its gorgeous."

Booth stood and grabbed the towels next to him as his girls started to emerge from the pool. "And speaking of gorgeous…" He turned and shook Dave's hand again. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Seeley. See you next time." He watched as Booth made his way to the edge of the pool and took Christine from Brennan, wrapping her in a large, fluffy beach towel.

"Did you have a good time, sweetheart?" Booth asked the excited girl, smiling as she slapped his cheeks and called to him.

"Da! Da! 'Ter!" Christine babbled, a grin that looked remarkably like her father's filling her tiny face.

Brennan laughed with them, pulling her own towel around her torso. "I believe she is trying to say 'water'. This was a very good idea. She enjoyed herself very much, Booth."

Booth leaned forward and kissed his partner quickly. "I knew she would. But did you?"

Brennan reached up and pulled on her daughter's little foot affectionately. "I did." She smiled back at her family as she followed them towards the changing rooms. "I really, really did."


	8. Eight Maids A'Milking

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Booth braced himself on his hands and locked his elbows as he held himself over Brennan, hips moving in tandem with hers as he slid in and out of her in a tight rhythm. He dipped his head and popped a cherry-red nipple in his mouth, nipping and sucking intermittently as he continued to thrust into her warm, wet body below. Brennan's increasingly desperate cries of his name and a certain deity encouraged his movements and Booth slowly reached down to hitch her thigh higher, changing his angle and sending her flying over the edge, her inner muscles grasping him tightly and pulling him along with her.

He collapsed next to her heaving body, trying to catch his own breath as he admired her sweat-slicked skin in the early morning light. The afterglow lasted all of two minutes before both of their cell phones began ringing, drawing matching groans from the couple as they reached for the offending devices and began hauling themselves from their bed.

* * *

Brennan leaned against the front desk of the massive hotel where they waited to speak to the head of housekeeping. "I've always loved this hotel. The history of it is fascinating."

"Yeah?" Booth looked around, curious. "Pops says he loved to stay here back in the day. But then it was called the Wardman Park." He laughed. "He doesn't anymore, he claims _Marriott Wardman Park Hotel_ just sounds too fancy-schmancy for him anymore."

"The Wardman Park is on the Register of Historic Places. Former Presidents Eisenhower, Truman and Lyndon Johnson all lived here at one point in time or another." Brennan grinned. "It seems apt that Hank would be comfortable here, with the metaphorical ghosts of great men."

Overcome with a wave of affection, Booth ran his hand down her cheek and cupped her jaw. "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not a sweet woman, Bones." He locked eyes with her, his love for her nakedly apparent to anyone who cared to look. The sound of a throat clearing interrupted their moment.

"Uh…Special Agent Booth?"

The partners turned to address the harried-looking hotel manager. "Yes? Mister Kalikimaka?"

"No, I'm sorry." The man extended his hand, first to Brennan. "I am Mitchell Danvers, the manager of the Wardman Park. Daniel, our head of housekeeping, is currently dealing with an issue with our staff and will be delayed further but I didn't want to keep you waiting."

Taking his turn shaking hands, Booth's brow rose in question. "I hope it's not related to our questions about the unexplained death here, Mister Danvers. We have no need to speak with any of the staff beyond Mister Kalikimaka and the housekeeper who found the body."

"Oh, no…not at all." Mister Danvers insisted as he gestured for Booth and Brennan to follow him to his office behind the desk. "His staff is attempting to squeeze some overtime from him today, overtime they are not entitled to, and he is trying to work something out." Waiting for the couple to sit in the chairs he offered, the manager sighed. "At this moment he is negotiating with eight very determined cleaning women and, no offense intended Doctor Brennan, he has his hands full."

"We can wait, Mister Danvers." Booth stifled a laugh as he watched Brennan force herself not to respond negatively to the obviously kind but busy manager. "We have the time."

* * *

Later that evening as they lay curled up on their sofa, Booth nuzzled into Brennan's neck and sighed. "Bones?"

Clearly enjoying her partner's attentions, Brennan didn't respond right away. "Mmmm…yes, Booth?"

"I had a good day today. Thank you."

"Morning sex, new case solved in seven hours, steak and potatoes for dinner, playtime with Christine…I can see why you enjoyed yourself today." Brennan smiled. "You are welcome."

Booth sighed again. "Yeah. Perfect day."


	9. Nine Ladies Dancing

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

"I can't believe you've been to the ballet and you've never taken me, Booth." Brennan complained as they walked around the backstage area of the Warner Theater. "You know how much I appreciate the physical beauty and athleticism of the dancers; I never insisted we go because I simply assumed you wouldn't enjoy it."

Booth rolled his eyes and led Brennan to the edge of the backstage area, waiting in the wings for the company to take a break. "It was a really long time ago, Bones. It didn't seem worth mentioning."

Watching the dancers onstage, Brennan sighed. "Look at that, Booth. Nine sets of arms and legs moving in perfect tandem…it's beautiful and breathtaking to watch." She glanced at her disinterested partner. "Which ballet did you see?"

"Uh…Giselle." He smiled slightly. "Alright, alright. I was dragged to see the performance against my will, but I have to admit, I did enjoy it." He saw her eyes light up. "We'll talk about going sometime, okay?"

Brennan let a sexy grin cross her face as she leaned into Booth. "Thank you." She kissed him lightly. "Now let's see if we can find the director."

* * *

A few hours later, they walked through the deserted backstage hallway, trying to find their way out of the theatre when Booth noticed an empty dressing room. Acting on impulse, he grabbed Brennan and pulled her into the room, closing and locking the door before pulling her into a scorching kiss that turned her knees weak.

"Booth…" She sighed in protest, even as she scored her nails along the sensitive skin behind his ear. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Ignoring her, Booth continued to kiss her throat, moving to the dip between her breasts that was exposed by her open-throated blouse. "Mmmm…can't help myself, Bones. You just smell and taste so good…" His hand slipped to the waistband of her jeans, deftly popping it open and slipping his hand inside, palm down.

Brennan's body jerked against him in surprise and he growled as he discovered how damp she had become with just a few kisses. "So damn sexy…" he whispered as he slid two fingers into her panties and began a rhythmic tapping on her clit with one while the other moved in and out of her tight, wet heat. He absorbed her groans and cries with his mouth as he nibbled on her lips and brought her to a heart-stopping orgasm in no time. She sagged against him as she recovered, watching with heavy lids as he removed his hand and licked his fingers with a dangerous grin. "Delicious."

Laughing breathlessly, Brennan kissed him quickly and passionately before turning to unlock the door. Let's get you home so I can…" She looked down pointedly. "Return the favor."

Booth took off his jacket and folded it over his arm, strategically positioned in front of his body as he watched her saunter off ahead of him. "Yeah. Good idea."

* * *

_**A/N: Just a little after-Christmas present for my fellow Angel fanatics. **_


	10. Ten Lords A'Leaping

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Booth entered their bedroom and after shucking his sweats, settled back onto the bed, sliding over to lay his head in Brennan's lap as she sat up watching a documentary. He sighed contentedly as she absently ran her hands through his hair, completely enthralled with whatever art history lesson she had turned on when Booth left the room to check on Christine and make one more sweep of the house.

"What the hell are we watching, Bones?" He sat up a bit and squinted at the screen. "Aztec mythology? I thought this was about art history."

Brennan shook her head in mock annoyance at Booth's pretended ignorance. "The piece they were showing when you came in is a tapestry depicting the Lords of the Night. It is centuries old, Booth."

"Lords of the Night?"

Brennan automatically switched to her professor voice as she explained. "Yes. In Mesoamerican mythology the Lords of the Night are a set of nine gods who each ruled over every ninth night forming a calendrical cycle. Each lord was associated with a particular fortune, bad or good, that was an omen for the night that they ruled over."

"Hmmm. Fascinating." Booth snuggled back down into Brennan's lap as he let his eyes drift shut, ignoring the program still playing quietly in the background.

"It is fascinating, Booth." She glanced down at his relaxed features. "But clearly not enough to keep your attention."

"Gimme a break, Bones. It's been a really long week with the holiday and case on top of case and I really just want to lay here, with our daughter sleeping safely down the hall, enjoy how good you smell and how soft you feel and just…be." He opened one eye and gave her a half-grin. "Without learning anything new."

Chuckling, Brennan leaned down to kiss him and what was supposed to be a quick peck rapidly turned into a heavy make-out session. Their remaining clothes went flying as Booth suddenly found himself on the bottom, watching as Brennan positioned him and slid herself onto him, releasing a sexy moan as he entered her.

Brennan stared at his face as Booth focused on where their bodies joined, the visual enough to make him moan and then cry out as she rotated her hips the way she knew he liked, and then dropped down completely as she ground their pelvises together. Unable to take not having control any longer, Booth grasped her hips and flipped them over, never losing contact.

"Impressive, Agent Booth." Brennan purred, and then gasped as Booth lightly bit one rosy nipple.

"You're damn right I'm impressive." Booth buried his face between her breasts and sucked the fragrant skin, letting his body do the talking from that moment on as they filled the room with the sounds of their lovemaking.

Afterwards, as they lay idly running their hands over each other's sweat-slicked bodies, Brennan sighed in satisfaction as Booth grinned. "Good?"

"Oh yes. Very good."

"I am a god."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan smacked his chest. "Isn't that offensive to your beliefs?"

"Don't care. Feel too good right now."

Snuggling into his side with an uncharacteristic giggle, Brennan agreed. "Yes, yes you do."

* * *

_**A/N: I swear there are 10 lords in there. Promise.**_


	11. Eleven Drummers Drumming

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

"Hodgins, you're out of your mind. Chuck Biscuits is a good drummer, but I wouldn't say he was the greatest ever." Booth scoffed as he unlocked the front door to his house and led the other man inside. "Hell, even Meg White's drumming has more personality than drummers with twice as much skill and she's just more interesting to listen to."

Hodgins looked around the neat living room and shook his head. "I don't know how you guys keep your place so clean. Michael Vincent tears our house up daily. It's impossible for us to keep up with anymore." He flopped down on the blue sofa and accepted the beer Booth proffered with a grin. "And you're full of it about Meg White. She's a hot mess."

"Maybe." Booth demurred. "But she's still more fun than Ringo."

Coughing and spurting beer all over himself, Hodgins started laughing. "You cannot be serious! Comparing Meg White to Ringo Starr? Blasphemy!"

Booth handed his friend a towel, grinning from ear to ear as Hodgins continued to cough. "Not comparing, exactly…and it's not like Ringo was a Bonham-level drummer. Don't get too caught up in the band name, there, bug boy."

Hodgins finally got his coughing under control and sat back into the sofa again with a sigh. "Bonham. Man, now there's a guy who could wail."

"Yup. No doubt about that." Booth settled in across from the scientist, brow wrinkled in concentration. "Weinberg?"

"Of course. Springsteen wouldn't be The Boss without Max."

"Charlie Watts?"

"Classic. Love the Stones."

"Questlove?"

"Ah. The Roots. Nice, man. Good call."

"We could do this all day, you know." Booth chuckled.

"Without a doubt. And the discussion wouldn't be complete without adding Neil Peart or Ginger Baker."

"Or even Sheila E. Mmmm. I had such a crush on her back in the Prince days."

Hodgins leaned up and clinked beer bottles with him. "Oh yeah. Most definitely."

"I don't know if I could settle on the best drummer of all time. But if I had to…if I _had to_…" Booth shook his head, looking skyward for inspiration. It hit him at the same time it came to the man across from him.

"Buddy Rich!" They both exclaimed, laughing.

Booth grabbed a handful of beer nuts and nodded, satisfied with their agreement. "Of course. Played with Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, Oscar Peterson…I definitely think we can go with Buddy."

A rattling at the front door interrupted their discussion as Brennan with Christine and Angela with Michael Vincent came shuffling through the door, both children looking almost as exhausted as their mothers. The men jumped up to help, taking the sleeping babies from their respective partner and placing them in the pack and play set up between the kitchen and the dining room.

Kissing Brennan hello, Booth took her bag and placed it on the table. "Did you have a good time at Mommy and Me, Bones?"

"Yes. Christine is learning to share and interact with the other children and Michael Vincent looks to exhibit all the signs of being as intelligent as his father. The children follow his lead often, it's…quite remarkable." She sighed happily and sat next to Angela, who had already collapsed in her husband's place on the couch.

"Thank you, sweetie. " Angela acknowledged. "We all had a good time, Booth. We definitely need to do that again."

"What did you two get up to while we were gone?" Brennan asked Hodgins and Booth as she snuggled further down into the cushions, placing her head on Angela's shoulder with a sigh.

Booth shrugged. "Not a whole lot. Hit the Home Depot for some things for Christine's tree house, talked music, had a couple beers, robbed a few banks, got fitted for our tutus…" Hodgins smiled as Booth continued to list incredible, illogical things they'd done during the day, stifling a laugh at the beautiful, but definitely-out-cold women sitting across from them.

* * *

_**A/N: Just felt the need to indulge my inner music geek for a moment. **_

_**One more day to go! **_


	12. Twelve Pipers Piping

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Caroline Julian was a patient woman. Alright, she was as patient as she could be but this situation was starting to make her just a little crazy.

"Seeley Booth!" She exclaimed as the agent in question stepped into the reception area adjacent to the conference room where Brennan and two of her interns were collecting DNA samples from twelve teenage girls while their mostly irritated parents looked on. "Where have you been?"

"Caroline. You know where I was." He held up the warrants spread out like a fan. "All twelve requests are here, all we need is the samples and we'll find out which girl the victim was arguing with the night she was murdered."

Nodding absently, the testy ADA watched as Doctor Brennan swabbed a surly-looking redhead's cheek as her hovering mother watched like a hawk. "And all these girls were trying out for the same role in the play?"

"Yeah." Booth confirmed. "The lead role, Piper." He held up his hand defensively. "Don't ask me, it's some off-Broadway thing. Cam says it's a great play for high schoolers."

"And you're sure one of them is your killer?"

Sighing, Booth shook his head. "No, I'm not sure. But right now it's the best lead we have." He paused as he saw Brennan close up her kit and head towards them. "Here comes Bones now."

"Ms. Julian." Brennan nodded. "I have all the samples; we'll take them back to the lab to compare with the skin cells we retrieved from the victim's fingernails."

"Good enough for me. You notice anything hinky about your suspects in there, Doctor Brennan?"

"Hinky?" Brennan's nose scrunched in thought, a characteristic Booth always found adorable. Not that he would ever tell her that to her face. "As a matter of fact, one of the girls, a Jennifer Bowman, seemed particularly distressed when we asked for her sample. Her mother seemed nervous as well."

"The red head?" Booth asked, jerking his head in the direction of the conference room.

"Yes! You noticed her, too?" Brennan confirmed.

"She did look…a little _canaille _to me."

"Canaille?" Booth asked, confused.

Brennan smiled. "French Creole for 'sneaky', Booth." Addressing Caroline, Brennan nodded. "Yes, she certainly did seem as though she were hiding something."

"Well, it's a good starting place. Check her DNA against the sample first, if it's a match we can go from there, right?" Booth pulled his keys from his jacket pocket. "Here, Bones. Take my truck back to the lab; I have a meeting with Hacker in about fifteen minutes. I'll call you when it's done."

Brennan pocketed the keys and patted Booth's chest in lieu of a kiss. "Thank you, Booth. I'll call you both when we get some results." Nodding at Caroline, she swept out of the room with her interns in tow.

"I'll go send this bunch home, enjoy your meeting." Caroline smiled devilishly as Booth groaned and headed out for his Bureau-sanctioned torture session.

* * *

Four hours, three DNA tests, two abandoned lunches and one interminable meeting later, Booth and Brennan were settled on their sofa with their end-of-case drinks and deep thoughts on their mind.

"Those girls were crazy, Bones. Who kills someone over a high school play?" Booth shook his head, amazed that even after seventeen years in the FBI he could still be surprised by man's inhumanity towards their fellow man.

Taking a sip of her wine, Brennan frowned. "I'm still a little confused as to why the other two girls helped her cover it up. Logically, they would have had to do nothing and their chances of being awarded the starring role would have increased by 8.3 percent."

Booth nodded. "You of all people know that logic rarely enters into conspiracy to murder, Bones. They were friends, and they're young. Everyone does stupid things when they're kids." He caught his partner's look and amended, "Well, everyone but you. And not to that extent, usually."

"Mmm." Brennan agreed, her mind already on another topic.

"What, Bones?" He nudged her side playfully, not entirely accidentally brushing the side of her breast as he did. "What's on your mind now?"

"Christine." She settled comfortably into his arms, cradling her glass between her palms. "And what she might want to be when she grows up."

"Deep thoughts, Bones. Any ideas? Maybe an actress, like the Piper-hopefuls?" He stifled a laugh at her scowl.

"While I would support Christine in any endeavor she decided to embark upon…"

"You hope she doesn't decide to get into that whole Hollywood thing. I know, me too." He knew she was still running the idea through her head so he gave her a few moments. "Any other hopes, Bones?"

"Yes and no. I-" She cleared her throat self-consciously. "I would like for her to develop an interest in science, of course."

Booth smiled sweetly, rubbing her shoulder affectionately. "Of course."

"But…" Brennan returned his smile. "If she chose law enforcement, to follow in her father's footsteps, I would be just as proud. You're a wonderful role model, Booth."

"Aw, thanks, Bones. And so are you." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly. "I could handle it if she decided to be an anthropologist, though. Another you? Definitely."

Brennan blushed a bit. "You're sweet."

"So are you." He kissed her again, this time more insistently.

Tipping her head back as Booth moved his kisses to the slope of her graceful neck, Brennan purred. "What do you say to the idea of moving this mutual admiration society to the bedroom? I'd like to show my affection in a more…physical way."

Taking her wine glass from her hands carefully, Booth set it on the coffee table next to his tumbler, and then slid his arm under her bent legs and picked her up, her surprised squeal turning into a delighted chuckle.

"Excellent idea. You really are a genius, Bones."

Their mingled laughter and her half-hearted protests followed them as Booth enthusiastically carried his partner up the stairway and into their bedroom.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, that's that. 12 days, 12 chapters. Anyone who knows me knows how impressive that is for me. I almost never finish anything like this! LOL I just hope this project lived up to Maryssa's expectations because I really had fun doing it. **_

_**And I can't complete this story without acknowledging a few very deserving people. First of all, my wonderful friends Cat, Cindee, Tracy and Jaime who all pitched in to beta when I needed it. I can't thank all of you enough. **_

_**Also the women mentioned above, as well as Jen, Frankie, Kabrina, Kirsty, Angie, Carla, Sara, Steph and Jules for not just the fic ideas and encouragement but the emotional support and friendship you've shown me this past year, especially the past three months. I don't have a single clue what I would have done without you all and I am immeasurably glad I don't ever have to know. Love you girls! **_

_**And to everyone who read and alerted and favorite and reviewed…thank you from the bottom of my heart. Each one of you need to know how much I appreciate your support and kindness.**_

_**Finally, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying a fantastic start to 2014. Happy New Year! **_

_**~Jen (NatesMama)**_


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